Following is an excerpt from a TV report on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assaג honoring released terrorist Samir Al-Kuntar, which aired on Syrian TV on November 24, 2008:

Anchor: President Bashar Al-Assad awarded released Lebanese prisoner Samir Al-Kuntar the Syrian decoration of the highest degree, out of appreciation for his record in the struggle, for his steadfastness, and for his patriotic and pan-Arab positions. President Al-Assad, who met with Samir Al-Kuntar and his brother Bassam, said that Al-Kuntar was not only the leader of the prisoners, but was also the leader among honorable free men, and that his adherence to Arab rights, despite all that he has been through, has made him a symbol of the struggle and freedom in Arab countries and throughout the world.

Al-Kuntar said he was happy and honored to meet the president and to be decorated by him. He added that the brave positions of Syria, under the leadership of President Al-Assad, and Al-Assad's constant support for the honorable resistance and his rejection of any unjust settlement constitutes a pillar of support for the people of the resistance and free men. This helps the prisoners to remain steadfast, despite their plight in the prisons of the Israeli occupation.

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